AIP Foundation Cambodia raises awareness during the Water Festival
10/11/2011
In 2010, 47 people died as a result of the Cambodian Water Festival's chaotic festivities taking place in the street. Faced with staggering numbers of road traffic injuries and deaths year-round, the Cambodian National Road Safety Committee and General Commissariat of National Police, Ministry of Interior (MoI) are launching a Passenger Helmet Campaign due to begin in the third week of November 2011. The campaign will be implemented by Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP Foundation), and aims to increase Cambodia's rates of helmet use, specifically among motorcycle passengers. Preceding the official launch, a series of activities took place during the Water Festival, on November 9th and 10th in Phnom Penh, and the campaign's symbolic logo was exclusively released.
In order to spread awareness of this issue, AIP Foundation organized activities relating to passenger helmet use which took place during the Water Festival. LCD television screens will broadcast past social marketing advertisements, documentaries, and a 2010 mini-series entitled "Regrets" which follows a Cambodian family's story after a father and son are in a tragic traffic accident. Several speeches explained the importance of helmets and urged motorcycle riders to wear helmets, regardless of whether they are drivers or passengers, adults or children, or going on long trips or short errands. Last but not least, the Prime Minister's endorsement of AIP Foundation's last campaign in Cambodia was broadcast on a screen.
Educational games were enjoyed by many families, including a road safety knowledge test. Family photos were taken according to the theme "Always Care. Always Wear a Helmet". One hundred helmets were distributed, mainly to children, over two days. Children and their parents participated in several games where teams competed and showed off their traffic safety knowledge.
While the campaign's television commercials are not being released until late November, the campaign's logo was presented at the Water Festival. Both a heart and a helmet depending on how you look at it, this symbol communicates the fact that wearing a helmet, and making sure your loved ones do as well, equates to caring for them in the way you do every day. "Always care. Always wear a helmet" says the campaign slogan, reminding Cambodians that wearing a helmet is just one of the instinctual, habitual actions they never hesitate to do for the ones they love.
